An antenna used in many radar systems, radio or communication devices is typically an electrically conductive device made of one or more electrically conductive materials and interfaces with a circuit and a medium surrounding the antenna, such as air or other dielectric medium, to either transmit an electromagnetic wave from the circuit into the medium or to receive an electromagnetic wave from the medium into the circuit. In transmitting the electromagnetic wave from the circuit into the medium, the circuit operates to generate an alternating current distribution at one or more alternating radio frequencies in the antenna which in turn radiates an electromagnetic wave at the one or more radio frequencies into the medium. In receiving an electromagnetic wave from the medium into the circuit, the antenna interfaces with the incoming electromagnetic wave at one or more radio frequencies to produce an alternating current distribution at one or more alternating radio frequencies in the antenna which are received by the circuit. In both transmitting and receiving operations, the conventional antenna transduces power between the free space electromagnetic wave and a guided wave on a transmission line connected to the antenna.